Wire control strip for a welding system

ABSTRACT

A wire package comprising a wire having a leading end and a trailing end; a wire retaining ring having a central opening, wherein the leading end of the wire exits the wire retaining ring through the central opening, the wire retaining ring further having a slot extending radially outward from the central opening, wherein the training end of the wire exits the slot at a radial outward extremity of the slot, a wire control strip attached to the wire retaining ring and located over a portion of the slot, the wire control strip having a release portion extending along a length of the wire control strip, the release portion adapted to progressively release the wire as the leading end of the wire is pulled upwardly after the wire is released from the wire retaining ring.

RELATED APPLICATION DATA

The present invention claims priority from U.S. provisional application Ser. No. 61/746,757 filed on Dec. 28, 2012. The disclosure of this application is incorporated by reference in its entirety herein.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure is related to welding systems, and more particularly, to a strip for controlling the dispensing of the trailing end of a coiled wire in one container connected to a leading end of wire in another container in a welding system.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

In welding systems, wire is frequently packaged and stored in container for delivery to an end user. In particular, wire such as that used for welding, soldering, or cladding is wound in a coil and packaged within a container. The term “container” is used herein to refer to any structure in which a coil of wire is housed or transported including, for example, drums, boxes, frames, tubes, regardless of their cross section and regardless of whether the coil is completely or partially enclosed.

The coil of welding wire may be left in the container and metered out as needed without removing the coil from the container. To insure uninterrupted welding, a trailing end of the wire within one container is attached to a lead end of wire in another container so that as one container is completely paid out, the welding process continues by drawing wire from another container without interruption. To that end, the trailing end of the wire in a first coil is butt welded to the leading end of wire in a second coil.

Dispensing wire from coils presents the problem of unwinding the wire smoothly without intertwining or forming knots, which can lead to defect or breaks in the wire, requiring costly down time in the welding process. The wire may tangle in a number of ways including, for example, multiple loops of wire lifting off from the coil or when loops of wire unravel and fall behind the coil causing the wire to intertwine. As the trailing end of wire from a first coil is removed from a container, there is a propensity from the wire to form a tangle that resembles a script “e” as the trailing end is removed from one end container before picking up the leading end of wire in a second container. This so-called e-script tangle typically results from the uncontrolled release of the wire from a hold down ring, which is at the bottom of the container when the coil is exhausted as it travels to the top of the container.

In particular, to facilitate removal of the wire coil, the wire may be imparted with an elastic memory in both bending and torsion. Separately, the wire may have an elastic memory created during packaging or due to handling and butt welding of ends of the wire by the customer. When the wire is released, it can spring to a lower state of energy which often produces the e-script. The e-script may form a knot which will not release when it reaches the wire guide conduit interrupting the weld process.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention generally provides a wire control strip used in connection with a coil of wire stored in a container, the wire having a leading end that is pulled upwardly from the container by a pickup and a trailing end extending upwardly from the container and spaced from the leading end and a wire retaining ring overlying the coil of wire, the wire control strip including: a thin strip of material having a first end and a second end, wherein the first end of the wire control strip the wire retaining ring over a portion of the wire between the leading end and the training end of the wire, the wire control strip being adapted to contact the portion of the wire upon release of the wire from the wire retaining ring; the wire control strip further comprising a release portion adapted to progressively release the wire from the wire control strip as the wire is pulled upwardly from the container.

The present invention further provides a wire package including: a wire having a leading end and a trailing end; a wire retaining ring having a central opening, wherein the leading end of the wire exits the wire retaining ring through the central opening, the wire retaining ring further having a slot extending radially outward from the central opening, wherein the training end of the wire exits the slot at a radial outward extremity of the slot; a wire control strip attached to the wire retaining wing and located over a portion of the slot, the wire control strip having a release portion extending along a length of the wire control strip, the release portion adapted to progressively release the wire as the leading end of the wire is pulled upwardly after the wire is released from the wire retaining ring.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a pair of wire containers showing a trailing end of a wire coil in a first container bound by a wire control strip according to the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a wire control strip according to the concepts of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a fragmented view of a wire control strip attached to a container at a second end of the wire control strip;

FIG. 4 is a fragmented view of a wire control strip attached to a wire retaining ring at a first end of the wire control strip;

FIG. 5 is a fragmented view of a first end of a wire control strip attached to a wire retaining ring similar to FIG. 4 showing details of the wire being released from the wire retaining ring and tearing through a release portion of the wire control strip at the first end; and

FIG. 6 is a fragmented view similar to FIG. 3 showing details of the wire being released from the second end of the wire control strip.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring to the drawings, several embodiments or implementations of the present invention are described, where like reference numbers have been used to refer to like elements throughout. The subject embodiments directed to a wire control strip employed to control or inhibit free release of a trailing end of the wire as it exits a container to mitigate the risk of forming an e-script.

Although illustrated and described hereinafter in the context of various exemplary welding systems, the invention is not limited to the illustrated examples.

More particularly, the subject embodiments relate to an endless bulk wire container arrangement, wherein a first container contains a coil of wire that includes a coil top and a coil bottom, wherein a leading end of the coil is drawn from the coil top from an opening in the center of the coil. A trailing end from the coil is also drawn from the center of the coil thereby causing a potential tangling hazard between the leading end and the trailing end during a wire feeding operation. The subject embodiments are directed to a wire retaining ring that is employed to move the trailing end out of the center of the wire coil thereby mitigating the potential for entanglement between wire ends. For this purpose, the wire retaining ring is disposed on top of a wire coil and includes a slot extending radially outward from the center of the ring to the outer periphery of the wire coil. In this manner, when a container is opened, the trailing end can be manually positioned radially outward in the slot formed in the retaining ring into a corner of the container where it poses no entangling hazard. The trailing end may be connected to a coil within a different container to provide an endless supply of wire to a welder. This arrangement can be implemented repeatedly as suitable to effectively provide an endless supply of wire to a welding system.

FIG. 1 illustrates a wire package system 100 that facilitates an endless wire supply for delivery to a welding system, such as an electric or arc welder. The subject embodiments relate to a plurality of wire coils which are interconnected to facilitate delivery of weld wire to a welding system and mitigating tangling or other encumbrance that may occur as wire is paid out from the coil. A first container 102 is adjacent a second container 104, wherein the first container 102 houses a first wire coil 106 and the second container 104 houses a second wire coil 108. The coils 106, 108 contain a quantity of welding wire which, in the embodiment shown, a length of wire is coiled to form a hollow body with a ring-shaped cross section. In FIG. 1, the containers 102, 104 have a plurality of walls disposed in the interior of the container to mitigate coil movement during shipping or other transport. The interior of containers 102, 104 are configured to receive the wire coils 106, 108 respectively. In one embodiment, the containers 102, 104 may be drum-like having a circular cross-section. Alternative embodiments include polygonal shapes such as triangular, square, hexagonal, or octagonal walled containers. These examples are not limiting. While not shown, containers 102, 104 can also include inner packaging components, such as a vertically extending liner, vapor barriers, hold-down mechanisms, or other welding wire packaging components. Additionally, containers 102, 104 may be covered by a container lid, not shown, constructed to prevent debris and other contaminants from entering each container.

The first wire coil 106 has a leading end 118 which is paid out to a weld system or other suitable receiving component. A trailing end 122 is welded, fused, or otherwise coupled to a leading end 124 of the second coil 108. This process may be repeated to effectively form an uninterrupted supply of welding wire W.

Thus, when coil 106 is exhausted, the last portion of the coil pulled from the container is trailing end 122. This is the end that is ultimately connected (e.g., butt welded) to a leading end of the next coil when the coil 106 is exhausted. The leading end 118 of the wire coil 106 is fed from the center of the coil to a welding operation, for example, through a pick-up 125. The trailing end 122 is positioned such that it extends from near the bottom 126 of container 102 across the bottom of the coil and then up a wall 128. The leading end of the second coil 108 connected to trailing end 122 of first coil 106 allowing pick up 125 to draw wire from second coil 108 once the first coil 106 has been depleted. Wire coils 106, 108 can be any coil known in the art wound by any known winding techniques in the art and can include a coil positioned on a package bottom.

Due to the method in which the wire welding is wound into containers 102, 104, the individual convolutions of wire can have a natural cast which produces a spring force or elasticity in the wire W. An upward springing force in the coil is controlled by a wire retaining ring 130, which may also be referred to as a hold down ring. The wire retaining ring 130 and its components can be made from a wide variety of materials, including, but not limited to wood, paper, plastic, metal, or ceramic materials or combinations thereof to provide the force needed to restrain the upward spring force of the wire coil 106.

Wire retaining ring 130 is disposed on the top of the coil 106 within the container 102. As illustrated in FIG. 1, the wire retaining ring 130 may have a variety of configurations. The configuration shown is just one example. In general the wire retaining ring can be any structure that is able to create a downward force sufficient to offset an upward spring force in the coil. To facilitate handling of the leading end and trailing end of the wire, wire retaining ring 130 may include a central opening 132 and a slot 134 extending outward from central opening to route the trailing end 122 to the exterior of the coil 106. The wire ring 130, showing, includes three concentrically disposed rings: an inner ring 162, an intermediate ring 164 and an outer ring 166. The inner ring 162 is coupled to the intermediate ring 164 and the outer ring 166 via a plurality of spokes 168 which are disposed at arc intervals preferably regularly spaced around the inner ring 162, as illustrated. The spokes 168 can have upward extensions both at the inner ring 162 and proximate the outer ring 166. Alternatively, or in addition, the spokes 168 may extend beyond the radius of the outer ring 166 for abutment against the inside wall (e.g., within corners) of containers 102, 104. The wire retaining ring 130 contains a slot 134 which, as shown in FIG. 3, is defined by a first slot rail 136 and a second slot rail 138. In the embodiment shown, slot 134 is a single slot that extends from the inner ring 162 to the outer ring 166. Slot 134 includes a mouth 135 that opens into the central opening 132 defined by inner ring 162 and is closed at its radial outward extremity. As wire W is pulled from the coil 106, it exits the wire ring 130 through mouth 135.

In such configuration, the trailing end 122 can be moved away from the center of the coil. Regardless of the slot arrangement, however, substantially any configuration is contemplated which moves a trailing end 122 away from the payout location in the center of the coil to ensure that no entanglement incurs and to allow for a simplistic connection from the trailing end 122 to the leading end of a different coil (e.g., leading end 124). In this manner, the trailing end 122 from the first wire coil 106 can be disposed and held at a location which is distal from the center of the wire coil 106. While the leading end of the wire 118 is paid out to a welder or other receiving component, the trailing end wire 122 will not interfere with such payout as to avoid entanglement or other negative consequence of interference between wire ends 118, 122.

In the example shown, trailing end 122 is routed upward through an outward end 136 of slot 134 in wire ring 130 and generally along the wall 128 of the container 102. As the last portion of wire is removed from first coil 106 it is drawn from the interior of the wire retaining ring 130 and through the slot 134. Once released from the wire ring 130, the wire has a tendency to spring because it is no longer restrained by wire retaining ring 130. A wire control strip 200 is attached to wire ring 130 over a portion of slot 134 such that as trailing end 122 of the wire is released from wire ring 130 it contacts wire control strip 200.

Wire control strip 200 impedes the trailing end 122 to reduce the likelihood that the wire will spring into an e-script configuration or otherwise form a tangle. To that end, wire control strip 200 provides for progressive release of trailing end 122. Wire control strip 200 includes a piece of material 201 that overlies at least a portion of trailing end 122 above wire ring 130. Any material may be used to form wire control strip 200. According to one aspect of the invention, strip 200 is made flexible, and in accordance with this aspect, may be made of paper or other pulp material, natural or synthetic fabric, plastics or thin metallic material, such as a foil or metal tape. In the example shown, wire control strip 200 is attached to wire ring 130 at one end and to an upper portion of container such that it overlies a majority of the trailing end 122 that extends along the wall 128 of the container. It will be appreciated that if non-flexible materials are used, attachment of the second end to the container may not be necessary.

Wire control strip has a release portion 210. Release portion 210 includes a layer of material that controls release of the wire by at least partially impeding the spring force within the wire as the trailing end is freed from wire ring 130. Release portion may be formed by overlapping layers of material that frictionally engage the wire such that the friction must be overcome to pull the trailing end through the release portion. Alternatively, as shown release portion 210 includes a sacrificial area within wire control strip 200 that trailing end 122 tears through. The force required to tear through release portion 210 impedes trailing end 122 to prevent the internal spring force within trailing end from forming an e-script or other tangle.

A sacrificial release portion 210 may be formed by weakening a portion of the strip, reinforcing surrounding portions of the strip, or a combination thereof. For example, release portion 210 may include a perforation 216 extending along the length of wire control strip 200. The perforation 216 may be formed in any known manner including slitting through a portion but not all of the thickness of wire strip, by a series of spaced dimples or punctures, or any other known or reasonably foreseeable manner. In the example shown, release portion 210 includes a perforation extending along the length of wire control strip 200. The perforation is centered within wire control strip 200.

Reinforcements 230 may optionally be provided on either side of perforation 216 to further define release portion 210 and reduce the likelihood that trailing end 122 would prematurely tear away from the perforation. Reinforcement portions may be formed by any method that strengthens wire control strip 200 including but not limited to changing the composition or thickness of wire control strip in the regions to be strengthened, applying a strengthening agent such as an adhesive, coating, mechanical reinforcement, or other reinforcing material. In the example shown, reinforcing strips are applied to the length of wire control strip 200 on either side of perforation 216. The reinforcing strips 232, 233 may be formed by an adhesive tape, such as masking tape, vinyl tape, packing tape, racer's tape, duct tape, among others, adhered to the surface of wire control strip 200 or a coating applied to wire control strip 200.

Wire control strip 200 has a first end 211 that is attached to wire ring 130 and a second end 212 that is attached to the container above wire ring 130. Attachment of the ends of wire control strip may made in any known manner. For example, a fastener 240 including but not limited to tape, staples, wires, tie wraps, tacks, hook and loop fasteners, or an adhesive. Fastener 240 may be separately attached or applied to wire control strip 200. Alternatively, wire control strip 200 may include fasteners that are integrally formed as part of wire control strip 200 such as portions of the strip that grasp, wrap around or otherwise attach to the surface to which the end is being attached.

In the example shown, fastener 240 includes bits of tape 241, 242 applied to an edge (213, 214) of wire control strip 200 and a surrounding area on wire ring 130 and container 102 to attach wire control strip 200 thereto. Wire control strip 200 may be attached to other structures or other portions of wire retaining ring 130 that allow wire control strip 200 to be positioned so that wire W contacts wire control strip 200 upon its release from wire retaining ring 130. Likewise, the fasteners 240 may be located anywhere on wire control strip 200. In the example shown, the fasteners 240 are applied on opposite sides of release portion 210 so that fastener 240 does not interfere with the release of trailing end 122 from wire control strip 200. As shown, fasteners 240 may be applied at each corner of ends 211,212, as discussed more completely below.

With reference to FIG. 3, when attaching first end 211 to wire retaining ring 130, first end 211 is attached to wire retaining ring 130 over a portion of slot. First end 211 thus may be attached at any radial position along slot 134. In the example shown, first end 211 is attached just inward of the outer radial extremity of slot 134. First end 211 may be provided with a notch 250 or other surface that guides wire toward release portion 210. In the example shown in FIG. 2, notch 250 is triangular having a pair of sidewalls 251,252 that converge toward release portion 210. As shown, the outer extremities of sidewalls 251,252 are spaced slightly greater than a width of slot 134 at the front edge of first end 211. Sidewalls 251,252 inward and upward from the forward edge 213 of first end 211 and meet at release portion 211. As shown, sidewalls 251,252 may be symmetrically formed relative to release portion 210, which is formed along the center line of wire control strip 200. Non-symmetrical sidewalls and other notch shapes may be used to the same effect in guiding wire toward release portion 210.

As shown in FIG. 4, as trailing end 122 is released from wire ring 130, pick up 125 pulls trailing end 122 upward through slot 134. With first end 211 of wire control strip 200 located over a portion of slot 134, trailing end 122 contacts wire control strip 200. Contact of the wire W with wire control strip 200 prevents uncontrolled release of the spring force within the wire W. Wire control strip 200 holds wire W in a generally u-shaped configuration between leading end 118 and trailing end 122. As the last wire loop is paid off from coil 106, the wire W exits slot 134 moving outward from mouth 135 along slot 134 eventually contacting wire control strip 200. The wire W is progressively released from strip 200 by release portion 210. To facilitate this, the wire W may be guided toward release portion 210 by locating release portion 210 over the slot in wire ring 130. Alternatively, as discussed above, a notch or other guide may be provided to guide wire W toward release portion 210. In the example shown, as wire W is drawn upward by pick up 125, wire W tears sequentially through perforations 216 in release portion 210 until reaching the end of wire control strip 200. The act of tearing through release portion 210 requires force from wire and allows the progressive release of trailing end 122 from container 102 reducing the likelihood of forming an e-script of other tangle. At the point where the strip 200 is no longer restraining wire W, the spring force may be dissipated or an insufficient length of wire (FIG. 6) is within container 102 to flip or form an e-script.

To further facilitate progressive release of trailing end 122 as it moves upward out of container 102, wire control strip 200 may be sized so that it is able to extend upward from wire control ring 130 when it is at the bottom of the container 102 to a point near the top of the container 102 (FIG. 1). As discussed, the second end 212 of wire control strip 200 may be attached at any point above wire retaining ring 130 when it is at the bottom of container 102. In the example shown, second end 212 is attached above wire retaining ring 130 when the coil 106 is full. Second end 212 may be attached in the same or a different manner than first end 211. For example certain, fasteners 240 such as staples may be more readily used when attaching second end 212 to a cardboard container rather than a wire ring 130. In the example shown, attachment of second end 212, like first end 211, is performed with bits of tape 242 overlying the corners of second end 212 and a portion of container 102. Second end 212 is positioned to overly a portion of the trailing end 122 of wire W exiting the first container 102. As shown, when attaching second end 212 over wire W, release portion 210 may be aligned with wire W to facilitate its release as wire W is pulled from first container 102.

With the ends 211,212 of wire control strip 200 respectively attached to wire retaining ring 130 and container 102, as wire W is removed from container 102, wire retaining ring 130 drops pulling wire control strip 200 taut between the two attachment points. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, wire control strip 200 optionally may be provided with folds or pleats 260 to store wire control strip 200 in a compact configuration when wire retaining ring 130 is at the top of container 102. Alternatively, wire control strip 200 may be placed in a rolled configuration when it is installed.

The above examples are provided to illustrate several possible embodiments of various aspects of the present invention, equivalent alterations and/or modifications will be apparent to others skilled in the art upon reading and understanding this specification and the attached drawings. In particular regard to the various functions performed by the above described components (assemblies, devices, systems, and the like), the terms (including a reference to a “means”) used to described such components are intended to correspond, unless otherwise indicated, to any component, which performs the specified function of the described component (e.g., that is functionally equivalent), even though not structurally equivalent to the disclosed structure which performs the function illustrated in the implementations of the invention. In addition, although a particular feature of the invention have been disclosed with respect to only one of several implementations, such feature may be combined with one or other features of the other implementations as may be desired and advantageous for any given or particular application. Also, to the extent that the terms “including”, “includes”, “having”, “has”, “with”, or variance thereof are used in the detailed description or/in the claims, such terms are intended to be inclusive in a manner similar to the term “comprising.”

This written description uses examples to disclose the invention, including the best mode, and also to enable one of ordinary skill in the art to practice the invention, including making and using any devices or systems for performing any incorporated methods. The patentable scope of the invention is defined by the claims, and may include other examples that occur to those skilled in the art. Such other examples are intended to be within the scope of the claims if they have structure elements that are not different from literal language of the claims or if they include equivalent structural elements. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A wire package comprising: a wire having a leading end and a trailing end; a wire retaining ring having a central opening, wherein the leading end of the wire exits the wire retaining ring through the central opening, the wire retaining ring further having a slot extending radially outward from the central opening, wherein the training end of the wire exits the slot at a radial outward extremity of the slot; a wire control strip attached to the wire retaining ring and located over a portion of the slot, said wire control strip having a release portion extending along a length of the wire control strip, said release portion adapted to progressively release the wire as the leading end of the wire is pulled upwardly after the wire is released from the wire retaining ring.
 2. The wire package of claim 1, wherein the release portion includes a perforation formed in the wire control strip.
 3. The wire package of claim 1, wherein said wire control strip is constructed of paper.
 4. The wire package of claim 1, further comprising a reinforcement portion located on either side or said release portion.
 5. The wire package of claim 1, wherein the release portion is centered within the wire control strip.
 6. The wire package of claim 5, said reinforcement portion includes two strips of adhesive tape.
 7. The wire package of claim 1, wherein the first end of said wire control strip defines a notch having sidewalls that converge towards the release portion.
 8. The wire package of claim 7, wherein said notch has a triangular shape.
 9. The wire package of claim 1, wherein said wire control strip has a second end attached to a portion of said container above the wire retaining ring when the wire retaining ring is supported on a full coil of wire.
 10. The wire package of claim 9, wherein said wire control strip includes plural folds between the first and end and the second end.
 11. A wire control strip used in connection with a coil of wire stored in a container, the wire having a leading end that is pulled upwardly from the container by a pick-up and a trailing end extending upwardly from the container and spaced from the leading end, and a wire retaining ring overlying the coil of wire having a slot through which the wire is released when the coil is exhausted, the wire control strip comprising: a strip of material having a first end and a second end; a fastener carried on said first end and adapted to attach said first end to the wire retaining ring over the slot, whereby the wire contacts said first end upon release of the wire from the slot; and a release portion adapted to progressively release the wire from the wire control strip as the wire is pulled upwardly from the container.
 12. The wire control strip of claim 11, wherein the release portion includes a perforation extending along the length of the wire control strip.
 13. The wire control strip of claim 11, wherein the wire control strip includes a second end attachable above the wire retaining ring.
 14. The wire control strip of claim 11, wherein the first end defines a notch adapted to guide said portion of the wire toward the release portion.
 15. The wire control strip of claim 14, wherein said notch has a triangular shape.
 16. The wire control strip of claim 11, further comprising a reinforcement located on either side of said release portion.
 17. The wire control strip of claim 16, wherein each of said reinforcements are constructed of adhesive tape.
 18. The wire control strip of claim 11, wherein said release portion is centered within said wire control strip.
 19. The wire control strip of claim 11, wherein said strip is formed of paper.
 20. The wire control strip of claim 11, wherein said strip is flexible. 